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How Weather Affects Betting on the NFL Games?
The elements, namely the weather, have become as much a part of the NFL as the offense and the defense. The weather has become such a mainstay that certain classic games have been named for it. “The Ice Bowl’’, “The Fog Bowl’’, “The Snow Bowl’’ have all become legendary in NFL annals.
Here are five of the best sites to check the weather before betting on the NFL:
- Weather Underground
- AccuWeather
- The National Weather Service
- Forecast.lo
- Weather Spark
Weather and NFL Betting
On a weekly basis, the weather can have an affect on games and as a bettor, you should know the forecast before you place a wager on the game.
Very few games will be as cold as “The Ice Bowl’’ when temperatures dipped to -17 degrees Fahrenheit with a wind chill of -46 degrees as the Green Bay Packers defeated the Dallas Cowboys on the final play of the 1967 NFL Championship Game.
It will still get cold, however, in places such as Green Bay and Chicago and Buffalo to name just three cities. So when the Packers, Bears and Bills are home, especially in late November and December, check the forecast. And check the opponent.
If a dome team such as the Detroit Lions or Atlanta Falcons or a warm weather team such as the Miami Dolphins or Tampa Bay Buccaneers are headed to a cold-weather site late in the season, a bet on the home team is usually a good idea.
It could work the other way as well. Again there may never be anything like “The Fog Bowl’’ where neither team could barely see across the field the entire second half of the Chicago Bears playoff win over the Philadelphia Eagles on New Year’s Eve Day, 1988.
Betting on the NFL when it is warm outside
But extremely warm weather could also play a factor. Turn the above examples around. Where the Green Bay Packers or Buffalo Bills, for example, have to travel to Miami to play the Dolphins or to Tampa Bay to play the Buccaneers in a September game where the thermometer might reach into the 90s. Again the home team is probably worth a long look before you wager.
How to bet on the NFL games when it is raining or snowing?
Rain and some times snow could make betting on football an interesting proposition as well. In 2013, the Philadelphia Eagles beat the dome-team Detroit Lions in what became known as “The Snow Bowl’’ after Mother Nature dropped over a foot of snow onto Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles handled the bad weather much better and rolled to a 34-20 win.
A misconception when it comes to and weather, not as bad as “The Snow Bowl’’, but any type of precipitation is that it favors the defense and the result will be a low scoring affair.
Not true.
Usually, bad weather creates turnovers, yes. But those turnovers, especially on special teams, can lead to easy touchdowns and push the score higher. Also, keep this important factor in mind: Bad weather can make the field very slippery. It’s slippery for both teams that’s a fact. But the offensive player, namely a wide receiver, knows where he wants to run and so does the quarterback throwing him the ball. The poor defensive back does not and if he slips on the wet surface, it’s another easy touchdown.
In any case, it’s always good to check the weather at the site of the game you are going to bet.
Photo by Daniel van den Berg
